I too enjoy the electrified typewriters, especially those with carriage return handles. Found an early 70's Brother Electric 3000 (Brother JP8) for cheap at a thrift recently and that thing types super fast. Much faster than an SCM Coronet Electric. It has some shortcomings. like no margin release and only predefined tabs, but those are pretty easy to deal with. The belt is a very nice and strong belt that I just had to flip over as the original side had been worn down and shiny.
It's a beautiful machine I'd love try out someday. I love all my manual typewriters but have an affinity for electrics perhaps because early in my career at the rr. (1970s) I spent 8 hrs a day madly typing train waybills by the hundreds. It was literally playing beat the clock because they had to be done and handed to the conductors otherwise the trains couldn't leave and there was always a lot of strong words if you were late LOL. I can't imagine doing the work on standard office machines as they did back in the pre electric day but then I believe they had more clerk typists. Thefour train billing clerks we had incl myself could all type at least 100wpm and had to know how to keypunch all that data over again onto IBM cards. It would be interesting to have a conversation on how people learned to type and "how" they type. To me it's something I don't even think about. I just see the words in full sentences and my fingers play them like chords on a piano sort of..
Am glad that, as an authoritative typospherian, you enjoy all sorts and makes of typewriters. It allows a positive and inclusive representation of typing, validating those typists that love electric and electronic typewriters for putting words to paper. It helps create a more open minded dialogue. Thank you for your video. Daniel
It has a very pleasing typeface, in my opinion, which is a great big tick. These electrics are particularly good for people with weak or painful hands/fingers, as the touch is so light. I like machines that, at their core, are manuals but with electric as an assist. The IBM Selectric is a marvel, but oh-so complicated under the hood, with a bunch of proprietary and weird parts and mechanisms. I am also very wary of single use ribbon cartridges. Overall, something like this Reporter just seems a whole lot more durable, with the notable exception of the rubber belt as you explained. At least that can be fairly easily replaced. On saying all that, I was thinking the other day about something very intangible... the "soul" of a machine, or its ability to inspire, linked perhaps with the grandeur of the device. There is a secret spice that is very hard to put your finger on, but you know when you get it. I have found that the more modern a machine is, the less of this special character they have. They function well, sure, but are you your best creative self with them? Your folding Corona might be sooo much slower, but you might actually write much better with it? Hard to scientifically prove, but that doesn't mean it is false. Something to ponder.
Awesome b-roll in this video - the shots you are achieving are quite nice to look at! I appreciate the workhorse typewriters as well... the Royal FP falls into that category for me, in the fully manual realm. It's big, it's not the prettiest thing, but it works so well and so fast that it almost fades out of the foreground. The subdued color scheme (2-tone gray) helps with that too. Not the most exciting machine but one of the most satisfying I've experienced.
Hi Joe, I've been fortunate to pick up one at auction today, am now containing my excitement for it's arrival. What I have been unable to find is a manual for it and also what type of ribbon it uses. I probably won't be interested in the corrector ribbon; my speed skills are not what they used to be lol. I'm guessing a group 9, but I hesitate to purchase until sure. Your help would be appreciate. Thanks Joe, have a nice day, Jan in Aus.
Hey Joe, hope 2023 is treating you and your wife well; do you by chance have a video on how you store your typed notes? I'm looking for a good archival binder or something to put my best works in. Any advice would greatly help, thanks!
I don't mind electric typewriters actually I prefer them. I really like the simplicity and looks of this one. Just looked on ebay for one but the only one I found is in Canada and would be close to $300 to get it over here in the states. I'll have to look around locally and cross my fingers I find one.
I have one of these (or a close cousin of it) and it lets you hook a computer up to it and use it as a printer. Kinda cool…
Hear hear! I have an SGE45 and I love it for writing! Ink on paper. Love it.
I too enjoy the electrified typewriters, especially those with carriage return handles. Found an early 70's Brother Electric 3000 (Brother JP8) for cheap at a thrift recently and that thing types super fast. Much faster than an SCM Coronet Electric. It has some shortcomings. like no margin release and only predefined tabs, but those are pretty easy to deal with. The belt is a very nice and strong belt that I just had to flip over as the original side had been worn down and shiny.
OMG! Someone finally downloaded the NOMDA books for something other than typeface identification! :D Yeah, those things are *packed* with info.
It was like being a typewriter detective! Hey, that’s make another membership level in the TWDB!
It's a beautiful machine I'd love try out someday. I love all my manual typewriters but have an affinity for electrics perhaps because early in my career at the rr. (1970s) I spent 8 hrs a day madly typing train waybills by the hundreds. It was literally playing beat the clock because they had to be done and handed to the conductors otherwise the trains couldn't leave and there was always a lot of strong words if you were late LOL. I can't imagine doing the work on standard office machines as they did back in the pre electric day but then I believe they had more clerk typists. Thefour train billing clerks we had incl myself could all type at least 100wpm and had to know how to keypunch all that data over again onto IBM cards. It would be interesting to have a conversation on how people learned to type and "how" they type. To me it's something I don't even think about. I just see the words in full sentences and my fingers play them like chords on a piano sort of..
Thank you! I love to hear true-to-life stories of how people used typewriters in their work.
Thanks for sharing your experience as a typist!
Am glad that, as an authoritative typospherian, you enjoy all sorts and makes of typewriters.
It allows a positive and inclusive representation of typing, validating those typists that love electric and electronic typewriters for putting words to paper. It helps create a more open minded dialogue.
Thank you for your video.
Daniel
It has a very pleasing typeface, in my opinion, which is a great big tick. These electrics are particularly good for people with weak or painful hands/fingers, as the touch is so light. I like machines that, at their core, are manuals but with electric as an assist. The IBM Selectric is a marvel, but oh-so complicated under the hood, with a bunch of proprietary and weird parts and mechanisms. I am also very wary of single use ribbon cartridges. Overall, something like this Reporter just seems a whole lot more durable, with the notable exception of the rubber belt as you explained. At least that can be fairly easily replaced.
On saying all that, I was thinking the other day about something very intangible... the "soul" of a machine, or its ability to inspire, linked perhaps with the grandeur of the device. There is a secret spice that is very hard to put your finger on, but you know when you get it. I have found that the more modern a machine is, the less of this special character they have. They function well, sure, but are you your best creative self with them? Your folding Corona might be sooo much slower, but you might actually write much better with it? Hard to scientifically prove, but that doesn't mean it is false. Something to ponder.
Great video as always Joe, greetings from Brazil.
Awesome b-roll in this video - the shots you are achieving are quite nice to look at! I appreciate the workhorse typewriters as well... the Royal FP falls into that category for me, in the fully manual realm. It's big, it's not the prettiest thing, but it works so well and so fast that it almost fades out of the foreground. The subdued color scheme (2-tone gray) helps with that too. Not the most exciting machine but one of the most satisfying I've experienced.
Thank you!
I've seen some similar models called Report Electric, which seems to be the predecessor to this one.
Thank you
Thanks!
Hi Joe, I've been fortunate to pick up one at auction today, am now containing my excitement for it's arrival. What I have been unable to find is a manual for it and also what type of ribbon it uses. I probably won't be interested in the corrector ribbon; my speed skills are not what they used to be lol. I'm guessing a group 9, but I hesitate to purchase until sure. Your help would be appreciate. Thanks Joe, have a nice day, Jan in Aus.
The machine is made by Nakajima in Japan, the ribbon has eyelets at both ends, I think it’s group 9.
Hey Joe, hope 2023 is treating you and your wife well; do you by chance have a video on how you store your typed notes? I'm looking for a good archival binder or something to put my best works in. Any advice would greatly help, thanks!
I need to make that video! Short answer: 3-hole punched and ring bound.
I don't mind electric typewriters actually I prefer them. I really like the simplicity and looks of this one. Just looked on ebay for one but the only one I found is in Canada and would be close to $300 to get it over here in the states. I'll have to look around locally and cross my fingers I find one.
P